National Animal Shelter Week

Animal shelters do more than just hold on to furry critters until they can find a home- they play a big part in your community’s efforts. Along with sheltering our four-legged friends, they also protect against cruelty, animal neglect, locating and reuniting lost friends, and even provide efforts to reduce animal overpopulating through spay and neuter services. All these services take a lot of effort to maintain, and it can be hard with the very little funding they receive.

National Animal Shelter week is dedicated to acknowledging and promoting the role shelters play in their communities. What we can do is carry that torch onward and help support the animal shelters in our community by doing our part to help our four-legged friends find some happy homes and families.

Spread the word

Word of mouth is a well-known marketing skill- and it works. Tell your friends about what’s going on, and bring it up in conversations. Nowadays, there is wide spread use of the internet which is connecting everyone to everyone else. Consider linking your local animal shelter’s information to your Facebook page or Twittering a link to help get the word out. Awareness is often the biggest part of any event.

You can also try promoting your local shelter with the classic flyers and banners. Simple as it may sound, a simple letter or flyer letting folks know what’s going on can really get the word out there. Post them on telephone poles or on bulletin boards so that others can see and know.
Children will someday be adults, so involving them with supporting pet adoption can help them become aware of the world they will one day grow into. Let them know what animal shelters do and their role in their community.

Promote adoption

If you’ve been thinking about adding a friend to your own homestead, November is definitely the time to do it. Tell your friends about adoption as well. Many people don’t know that you can easily adopt a pup from the animal shelter and give a homeless pup a happy home. You can even take a moment to support adoption efforts by clicking the “like” button on the Shelter Pet Project page on Facebook.

Donations to keep those tails wagging

Some of us want to help directly by donating to the cause. Financially, many organizations have made contributions, both big and small, that help their local shelters continue their efforts and reach out to help others as well. A few coins here and there can really add up, so don’t think that you shouldn’t drop that extra change in your pocket into their funds just because it isn’t enough. When you’re helping, anything you can do is better than doing nothing at all.

Supplies!

Donations aren’t limited to monetary amounts. Items such as blankets, towels, and toys can help as well. Often, your local animal shelter will have a “wish list” posted on their website. You’d be surprised at how much a few items can really help, especially with the cold winter approaching.

Throw in a helping paw

Many shelters will welcome volunteer workers. If you have a few hours or some extra time, consider helping your four-legged friends this November. There may be a variety of types of shelters around, so find one that is right for you.

Take a few moments to thank your local animal shelter for the love and care they give our animal friends. And remember, supporting your local animal shelter doesn’t have to be extravagant, any and all help is appreciated. So do what you can to keep those tails wagging towards a happy home.